BANCROFT 
LIBRARY 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


THE  PRACTICE  OF  MEDICINE  Bl 
THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA, 


BY  STEWART  CULIN. 

OF  PHILADELPHIA. 


REPRINTED   FROM   THE 

ant)  Surgical  TReporter. 

MARCH    19,    1887. 


A 


Bancroft 


I  REPRINT  FKOM  THE  MKDICAI,  AND  SURGICAL  REPORTER  OF  MARCH  19,  1887.] 


THE  PRACTICE  OF  MEDICINE 


BY   THE 


CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 


By  STEWABT  CULIK,   of  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


Many  of  the  Chinese  stores  in  our  Ameri- 
can cities  keep  a  supply  of  Chinese  drugs, 
and  all  of  them  sell  Chinese  proprietary 
medicines,  such  as  pills  to  aid  digestion,  the 
"red  pills,"*  Shd  hi  it/if  for  cholera,  catarrh 
snuff,  and  other  specifics  compounded  in  the 
Canton  drug  shops.  These  are  always  neatly 
packed  and  labeled,  and  accompanied  with 
printed  directions  for  their  use. 

But  there  is  often  a  regular  drug  business, 
usually  carried  on  by  a  separate  company,  in 
the  stores,  and  a  supply  of  drugs  comprising 
many,  if  not  all,  of  those  called  for  in  their 
practice,  contained  in  numerous  boxes  and 
drawers  on  one  side  of  their  shops.  Here, 
often,  a  Chinese  doctor,  usually  some  poor 
and  broken-down  student,  who  ekes  out  a 
living  by  assisting  at.  the  drainings  of  the 
lottery,  has  his  office. 

With  a  desire  to  learn  something  of  the 
method  of  treatment  and  obtain  some  prac- 
tical knowledge  of  the  Chinese  materiamedica, 
1  recently  called  upon  a  doctor  connected 
with  one  of  the  principal  Chinese  stores  in 
Philadelphia,  and  requested  him  to  prescribe 
for  a  cold  on  the  chest  from  which  I  was  suf- 
fering. 

The  doctor  was  a  pleasant-mannered  man 
of  about  forty  years  of  age.  Resting  my 
hand  upon  a  book,  he  carefully  felt  my 
pulse,  first  on  the  '  'ft  wrist  and  then  on  thfc 

*  The  red  pills,  .vr..  «•  ;.~,  sp  ^kni  of  l>y  the  Abbe  line  ,.ud 
•other  travtlris,  are  1  ighTy  i-sleeined  amonn  the  Chinese 
here  as  a  specific  for  diarrhoea  and  h  >wel  complaints.  Their 
entire  composition  is  :i  secret,  but  they  are  known  to  con- 
tain oalom.  1  and"  the  aromatic  root  of  a  water  plant,  she.  hZnvg. 

A  ball  of  eftrth  ca  led  shim  sil,  "toad  butter,"  which  ;  he 
toad  carries  in  his  mouth  durini;  the  dry  time  in  autumn 
(sic),  is  repu  eri  to  form  an  active  Ingredient  in  the  sh<3hiU». 
They  are  said  to  lose  their  virtues  after  being  ke^t  loiiger 
than  a  year. 

fin  the  absence  of  Chinese  type,  the  Chinese  words  are 
rendered  in  the  English  equivalents  of  the  Canton  dialect, 
*coording  to  8.  Wells  Williams. 


right,  delicately  compressing  the  artery  and 
gradually  relaxing  the  pressure.  Then, 
without  inquiring  about  the  symptoms  of 
my  complaint,  he  wrote  the  prescription,  a 
fac  simile  of  which  is  herewith  reproduced. 


sr 

* 


The  fifteen  medicines  called  for  are  all  of 
vegetable  origin.  The  following  transcrip- 
tion of  their  names,  with  some  notes  on  their 
properties,  and  the  quantities  indicated  in 
the  prescription,  may  not  be  without  inter- 
est.* 

Shan  WH  (a  root  highly  valued  as  an 
aphrosidiac,  said  to  have  received  its  name 
fron  Ho  Shau  Wu,  a  resident  of  Szechnen, 
who  lived  unmarried  until  the  age  of  54 
years,  when  he  discovered  the  peculiar  qual- 
ities of  this  root.  He  then  married  and 
had  several  children,  and  his  life  was  pro- 
longed by  its  use  to  the  ripe  age  of  110 
years  X  4  is1  in  (15.08  grams.) 

Uit  chi  (a  root  from   Szechuen,  a  tonic), 

2  ts'  in  (7.54  grams). 

Kau  chaok  (a  plant  of  hair  at  crown  of 
root  from  Fukien  province)  4  is'  in  (15.08 
grams). 

Kat  kang  '(be) wort,  root  of  the  Platy- 
codon  grandiflorum,  a  tonic  and  stomachic), 

3  is'  in  (11.31  grams). 

Pak  cheuk  (root  of  Pcenia  aJbi flora,  a 
tonic,  sedative,  and  alterative),  2  is'  in  (7.54 
grams). 

Pak  shut  (a  sweetish  sort  of  root;  a 
tonic  much  valued  as  an  aid  to  digestion  ; 
from  Chehkiang  province),  2  Is  in  (7.54 
grams). 

2V  2'  skat  (the  seeds  of  the  Euryale  ferox  ; 
a  tonic;  from  Kiang-su  province),  4  is'  in 
(15.08  grains). 

Ch"  un  pui  (a  demulcent ;  from  Szechuen 
province),  3  is'  in  (11.31  grams). 

Unts'am  (a  root  used  to  check  internal 
hemorrhage  and  for  coughs  and  colds  ;  from 
Che'h  kiang  province),  3  ts'  in  (11.31 
grams). 

Ckak  se,  (a  root  taken  for  diseases  of  the 
kidneys,  MS  its  name  implies,  a  diuretic),  3 
/*'  in  (11.31  grams). 

2V  an  k'  au  (dried  roots  of  the  Gend- 
uriiKsa,  givtn  in  cases  of  rheumatism  and 
fever),  3  ts'  in  (11.31  grams). 

Tsb  yan  (seeds  of  a  species  of  Rhamnus, 
probably  the  Rhamnus  soporiferus,  a  sopor- 
ific), 2  Is'  in  (7.54  grams). 

Tang  fa,  "  Winter  flower"  (flowers  of  a 
plant  resembling  the  chrysanthemum)  4 
is  in  (15.08  grams). 

Song  pak  (the  white  skin  from  the  roots  of 
die  mulberry  tree).  4  ts'  in  (15.08  grams). 

Hau  p'o/c,  '•  thick  bark  "  (the  bark  of  a 
tree  from  Szechnen),  3  ts'  in  (11.31  grams). 

A  clerk  in  the  store  weighed  out  the  differ- 


*  The  writer  is  iml  Meil  to  the  Catalogue  of  the  Chinese 
'mpirial  Maritime  Customs  Co, leotmn  at  the  l!ni  ed  Sta-es 
luivriiuiioiial  l-.xhibitiuii,  1W7G,  M«n.,//cu  187u,  lor  much  of 
the  information  used  in  preparing  these  notes. 


ent  articles  with  a  small  Chinese  balance, 
and  deposited  them  together  on  a  piece  of 
paper,  first  powdering  the  c/il  tin  pui  in  an 
iron  mortar,  and  roasting  the  tsb  yan  in  a 
pan  ;  the  pale  cheuk  was  moistened  with 
whisky  before  being  placed  with  the  mass. 
All  was  then  put  in  a  pot  with  four  large 
cups  full  of  cold  water,  and  boiled  for  half 
an  hour.  The  decoction  I  was  enjoined  to 
drink  warm  before  going  to  bed. 

Should  this  medicine  have  failed  to  re- 
lieve me,  the  doctor,  upon  my  next  visit, 
would  have  varied  his  prescription.  The 
charge  for  the  medicine  was  fifty  cents,  the 
price  of  each  ingredient  being  computed 
separately.  The  doctor's  fee  was  one  dollar, 
this  being  the  usual  charge  for  each  tonsulta- 
tion.  Their  expenses  are  paid  when  they 
make  visits  at  a  distance. 

The  doctors,  called  i  shang,  of  whom 
there  are  now  four  in  Philadelphia,  are  usu- 
ally from  the  Sam  Yap,  or"  Three  Districts," 
immediately  adjacent  to  Canton  city.  They 
are  much  better  educated  than  the  mass  of 
the  people.  None  of  any  repute  at  home 
come  to  America,  but  it  is  said  there  are 
several  very  skillful  ones  in  San  Francisco 
and  some  of  the  western  cities,  who  have  a 
large  practice  among  Americans.  Those  in 
New  York  and  Philadelphia  rank  very  low 
in  their  profession,  in  the  estimation  of  their 
countrvmen.  They  are  all  dignified  with 
the  title  of  sin  shang,  equivalent  to  master 
or  teacher,  the  only  title  of  respect  current 
among  the  Chinese  in  the  American  cities, 
and  shared  with  the  men  who  manage  the 
drawings  of  the  lotteries. 

A  slight  knowledge  of  medicine  is  general 
among  the  people.  They  have  been  accus- 
tomed to  take  medicines  from  their  child- 
hood, when  their  mothers,  by  a  kind  of 
sortilege,  selected  some  simple  prescription 
to  relieve  their  infantile  complaints.  The 
study  of  the  physician's  art  is  not  confined 
to  their  doctors.  Many  others  buy  and 
read  works  on  the  subject  that  are  sold  in 
their  stores,  in  which  very  exact  directions 
are  given  for  the  treatment  of  all  the  dis- 
eases known  to  them. 

The  book  generally  referred  to  is  the  Tsung 
e  kam  kdm,  or  "  The  Golden  Mirror  of  Medi- 
cine," a  collection  of  medical  works  compiled 
by  order  of  the  Emperor  Kienlung,  in  1740. 
The  Canton  reprint  sold  here  is  contained  in 
forty  small  octavo  volumes,  the  first  thirty 
of  which  are  devoted  to  nuifo,  or  "internal 
medicine,"  while  the  remaining  ten  comprise 
the  Kam  kdm  ngoifo,  or  "  Golden  Mirror  of 
External  Practice,"  by  'Ng  Him.  The  price 
of  the  complete  set  here  is  about  $2.25. 


While  the  Chinese  in  our  eastern  cities 
are  superstitious,  and  cherish  manv  of  their 
native  beliefs,  they  do  not  worship  any  par- 
ticular god  of  medicine,  and  the  practice  of 
medicine  among  them  is  comparatively  free 
from  superstitious  observances.  Sick  people 
sometimes  burn  copies  of  the  charms  found 
in  the  popular  works  on  divination  and 
magic,  and  drink  tea  made  from  the  ashes, 
but  this  is  done  with  very  litile  serious  belief 
in  the  efficacy  of  such  treatment. 

In  cases  of  prolonged  illness,  a  friend  of 
the  sick  person  is  sometimes  sent  to  the  local 
shrine  of  Kwan  tai,  the  divinity  generally 
worshiped,  to  burn  incense  and  ask  the  will 
of  heaven  as  to  his  recovery  by  throwing  the 
divining  sticks. 

Diseases  which  do  not  succumb  to  the 
treatment  after  being  correctly  diagnosed 
and  the  right  medicine  administered,  are 
looked  upon  as  due  to  the  influence  of  a 
spirit  or  devil.  Hysteria  is  generally  re- 
garded as  an  evidence  of  demoniac  posses- 
sion. 

The  people  as  a  class  are  very  healthy  ; 
venereal  diseases  and  the  complaints  result- 
ing from  an  excessive  use  of  opium  are  the 
most  common.  They  call  upon  their  own 
doctors  whtn  ill,  but  are  much  averse  to 
taking  foreign  medicines  or  submitting  to 
the  treatment  prescribed  by  American  phy- 
sicians. They  regard  opium  as  a  specific  for 
colds  and  many  complaints,  and  in  slight  dis- 


orders resort  to  their  pipe  before  consulting 
a  doctor.  Chinese  ginseng  is  highly  valued 
for  its  supposed  strengthening  and  life  pro- 
longing qualities  (it  is  not  looked  upon  as  an 
aphrodisiac),  and  is  taken  in  the  form  of 
pills  or  made  into  a  tea  by  many  of  the 
older  men  in  the  spring  of  the  year.  Amer- 
ican ginseng  is  seldom  if  ever  used  here. 

Calomel  is  prescribed  in  syphilitic  dis- 
eases. Quinine  is  known  as  kam  kai  nap, 
doubtless  a  Chinese  transcription  of  cinchona 
and  that  sold  in  their  stores  is  imported  from 
China.  It  is  prescribed  for  violent  chills, 
and  is  looked  upon  as  a  very  strong  and  dan- 
gerous medicine.  With  a  few  exception?, 
mineral  remedies  are  seldom  employed,  and 
roots,  barks,  and  herbs,  administered  in  the 
form  of  teas,  constitute  the  principal  drugs 
used.  Many  of  these  are  not  regarded  as 
possessing  any  particular  virtues,  arid  some 
are  retained  solely  through  a  tradition  of 
cures  once  Affected  by  them.  Custom  has 
ordained  that  a  prescription  shall  contain  a 
number  of  ingredients,  of  which,  may  be, 
two  or  three  only  are  considered  to  have  any 
direct  effect. 

The  doctors  show  much  solicitude  about 
administering  any  medicine  that  may  cause 
a  fatal  result,  owing,  no  doubt,  to  the  penal- 
ties inflicted  in  China  upon  such  misadven- 
tures, so  that  their  treatment  in  general,  if 
not  beneficial,  does  no  particular  harm  to 
their  patients. 


